West Ham United may have to look beyond Douglas Luiz in their bid to reinforce their midfield.
Their hopes of signing the Brazilian this summer are fading fast, with reports from Tuttosport claiming that the midfielder only wants to join a top-tier club.
Luiz has been heavily tipped to return to the Premier League. West Ham are among clubs to have sounded out an interest alongside Everton and Nottingham Forest.
Everton and Forest reportedly intensified their efforts to land his signature in recent weeks, but reports from Italy suggest that Luiz isn’t convinced by any of those options.
He’s not opposed to the idea of returning to the Premier League but will only do so if he receives an offer from one of the top teams in England.
West Ham should look elsewhere
West Ham’s interest has cooled in recent days, but they’d be better off ditching that ideal altogether.
Both Everton and Forest finished ahead of the Hammers last season, with the Tricky Trees even set to play in the Europa League next season.
If that’s not enough to get the green light from Luiz, then West Ham stand no chance of turning his head.
It’s a frustrating setback for the Hammers. Luiz would have been a game-changer in midfield, considering he comes with bags of Premier League experience, but they’re better off exploring other targets.
Juventus are hoping to land a €40 million fee for Luiz, but his latest decision throws a wrench in their plans. The midfielder skipped training last week, sparking unrest behind the scenes in Turin.
That move also gave the Premier League trio hopes that a move could be on the cards, but the situation has become significantly more complicated.
West Ham are coming off a disastrous campaign, and Graham Potter is overseeing a comprehensive squad rebuild, but the Hammers are running out of time to put together a competitive team.
With the new campaign only a few weeks away, West Ham need to move fast in the transfer market to make sure last season’s mishap is only a one-off.